


Cold Blood

by PeachesNCreamBarbie



Category: The Alienist (TV), The Alienist - Caleb Carr
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ambiguous Relationships, Another Stevie Centric, But has some elements of it, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Final Girl Trope, Gen, I Tried, Inspired by the classic slasher movies, Kat is OOC, Murder, Not Canon Compliant, Not super duper slasher Au, Out of Character, Slasher AU, Tropes, Violence, fight, kind of, not really scary, spoilers for Angel of Darkness (book)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:35:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25984483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeachesNCreamBarbie/pseuds/PeachesNCreamBarbie
Summary: One of Stevie's best friends is unexpectedly murdered. No one really knows who did it, or why it happened.All they know is that it will happen again.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Kudos: 1





	Cold Blood

**Author's Note:**

> Yay! I'm back. A few things I'd like to address before getting started: Yes, I watched season 2 and have read the book. It's been a hot minute since I read it, so Kat's characterization may be off, but I wanted to include her in this seeing as she wasn't in season 2. I also have really wanted to write an AU set in a slasher universe, since I am a huge fan of the genre and thought it'd go well with season 1. Anyway! I hope you enjoy it!

There had been a new murder.

The body had been discovered on the Brooklyn Bridge, more than likely dumped on the side by who killed them. Police had searched the area for fingerprints, DNA on the body, and everything else under the moon. Nothing had was found, and the police were starting to call it another cold case.

It had been the second murder that year, building upon what was appearing to be a case involving someone with a repetitive pattern. Newscasters described the bodies, with a disgusting grimace, as missing their eyes and parts of their legs and arms.

Despite what Dr. Kreizler had told him, Stevie turned the TV on, watching the latest broadcast about the unidentified body. He was curious to know who it had been since one of his friends had been missing.

“The body was identified as that of Ernst Lohmann, a 17-year-old boy who lives on the east side of Brooklyn. Authorities-.”

Stevie felt his entire body go numb. Never in a million years would he think that one of his close friends would be dead at such a young age. How did this even happen? What did Ernst do that warranted an early death?

As he sobbed, Dr. Kreizler came to his side, holding him close and telling him everything would be alright. That this was simply an unfortunate incident and that the police would find whoever did it.

  
  


////

Ernst’s death was the hot topic at school, spreading around like a wildfire. You’d have thought a celebrity had passed, but instead, it was one of their peers. Other students came up to Stevie and his friend, Kat Devlin, expressing their sympathy and apologies. Some stayed silent, turning their backs to them for fear that they might be targeted next.

It seemed silly to be afraid that you’d be targeted simply for being friends with the victim, but to his classmates, it was the only logical fear. Even Kat, who typically brushed things off as nonsense, was a bit off from her usual attitude and looked over her shoulder steadily. She had been crying during the lunch period, saying that she would miss Ernst’s cheerful demeanor.

Their teachers were a bit more empathetic, with some refusing to give out homework or others offering the students the chance to meet with the counselor if they felt the need. It was a rather sad day for them all, with Ernst’s death being the first to ever happen within the school’s population.

All Stevie could think about during his classes and breaks was the mysterious identity of who killed Ernst. Would they even be found? Were the police also looking for the culprit? There had to be some way for them to find the right guy.

When he told Kat, she said it seemed odd that no one had noticed Ernst’s body dumped on the side of the bridge.

“Do you know how many people are on that bridge even at night? How could no one notice someone dropping a dead body?” She muttered, shoving her textbooks into her bag.

Stevie stood beside her, still wiping his eyes from the occasional tears that would fall. She was right, like always.

“Besides,” Kat slammed her locker door shut and slung her bag over her shoulders, “even if someone did see him, why are they not coming forward?”

“Maybe they’re afraid of him coming after them,” Stevie said as the two made their way out of the building. The walk home would be long, but at least they would get to continue their conversation.

Kat scoffed, shaking her head. “If it were me, I would come forward just so another murder doesn’t happen. And I wouldn’t be so scared of someone who can only commit a crime in the dark. In that case, I’d speak my truth during the day.” She snickered at her joke, trying to make light of their situation.

It did help a little. Kat’s humor always brightened a dim day for him and Ernst, and sometimes the teachers.

The sounds of their shoes against the pavement began to grow louder as the conversation wore out. What more could they discuss? Not much had happened at school that day, besides the announcement of Ernst’s passing and the sympathy from everyone. Stevie had a feeling that would be the only thing happening for the next week, but at least Ernst wouldn’t be forgotten.

“Hey, check it out. There’s some guy in a goofy hat,” Kat brought him out from his thoughts, nudging his arm with her elbow. Stevie jumped, looking at the direction that she was pointing in.

As Kat’s laughter echoed in his ear, Stevie stared at the tall man standing on the sidewalk. He was holding something that couldn’t be made out and was wearing an awkward hat. There was something off about him, though. Perhaps it was the way he was standing or the way his clothing stuck out like a sore thumb.

Blinking repeatedly, Stevie groaned at Kat. “It’s nothing. Let’s just go already.”

She huffed, fixing her bag’s shoulder strap and walking alongside him. Chatting away, Kat made sure to voice her opinions about the hat while Stevie looked over his shoulder, chills going down his spine at the sudden turn that the man did.

  
  


////

“I’m afraid that we haven’t found much evidence in our investigation, save for a small piece of hair on Ernst’s jacket. Hopefully, Bitsy and Lucius can identify the suspect from that, and we’ll be able to catch our guy,” Sara Howard informed Dr. Kreizler, sitting on their small couch in their living room.

Stevie sat at the kitchen table, hearing every little word from their conversation. He knew that eavesdropping was looked down upon, but he couldn’t help but listen when it involved Ernst’s murder. That was his best friend, and all Stevie wanted was for there to be justice. He couldn’t help but wonder if Ernst would soon become one of the many victims of various criminals that never saw justice served or peace, forever stuck with the knowledge that their killer was getting away scot-free. What an awful feeling it must be to have in the afterlife.

“Milly thinks our suspect could be coming after Ernst’s friends next, so she urges you to keep Stevie out of trouble. I know he’s not an issue, but we must prevent another murder.” Sara sighed, cracking her knuckles. Dr. Kreizler cleared his throat, loud enough for Stevie to hear. How did he know that he was in the kitchen?

“I will keep a close eye on him. Please, call me if you receive any updates. I’m grateful for you taking the time to sit down with me this afternoon.” As usual, Dr. Kreizler was professional and polite in his discussion with Sara, despite being a good friend of hers.

Stevie leaned his head back, trying to catch a glimpse of Sara in hopes she would notice. There were so many questions he wanted to ask regarding Ernst’s murder, answers that he desperately craved ever since he watched the broadcast. Kat’s questions had prompted more to grow in Stevie’s mind, revealing rather significant inconsistencies with what had happened.

However, Sara left the house, shutting the front door behind her with a loud click.

  
  


////

He couldn’t sleep that night, tossing and turning in his bed as gruesome images of Ernst’s body flashed across his mind. All it took was a simple description for him to suffer from grueling nightmares.

Blood splattered against the Brooklyn Bridge, eyeballs tossed to the side or fed to the birds, and poor Ernst, crying out as the killer slaughtered him.

It was horrific, like something he would only see in fiction. Everything regarding Ernst’s death was surreal, a nightmare come to life. Stevie felt like there was no escape from the fear, the act of looking over his shoulder, and the endless conversations about dead ends and little evidence.

Stevie curled up into a ball, trembling so hard that his bed was shaking. He was crying again, this time from the overwhelming panic and gruesomeness that he was experiencing.

If what Sara had told Dr. Kreizler was true, then he felt the weight of his emotions tenfold. Even if, to him, it sounded ridiculous. While yes, the culprit did somehow know Ernst, how would he find out about Stevie and Kat? Nothing connected the three, and Stevie knew that if anyone suspicious approached Kat, she would punch them square in the eye.

Then he realized it.

  
  


////

“We can’t walk home on that route anymore,” Stevie shouted at Kat, walking up to her locker. She was putting her textbooks away, raising an eyebrow.

“Why? Are you suddenly my dad now?” She rolled her eyes. Stevie shook his head, holding his hands out as he tried his best to explain his realization.

“We can’t go that route anymore because of the guy in the goofy hat.” He remembered the gut-wrenching feeling he gave him, with his instincts telling him to move as far away as possible.

Kat crossed her arms and leaned against her locker, clearly uninterested in his crazy theory. “Yeah, sure. Just tell me why we can’t!” She began to tap her foot, shaking her head slowly.

He bit the inside of his lip, nervous to tell her his reasoning. It should have been easy, but it wasn’t, especially with her tapping her foot.

“I feel like that’s the man who killed Ernst. There is something wrong about him, and I could feel it in my gut. If we take another route, there’s a smaller chance of him coming after us.” Stevie explained, stumbling a bit on his words.

There was nothing but the sounds of kids shuffling down the hallways as Kat narrowed her eyes, slowing down the tapping of her foot. Stevie waited for a harsh response, but instead, what he got was completely different.

“Okay. But! We’re only deviating from the route a little! Just enough to steer clear of him.” Kat sighed, turning around and walking back to class.

Stevie stood there, smiling. There were ways to avoid the same unfortunate fate! All it would take was for them to change specific routes home, avoid those who seemed suspicious, and be a bit more cautious!

He happily walked back to class, humming a little tune in careful optimism.

  
  


////

Kat opened her bag, pulling out a flyer for a party that she had received. It was bright pink and covered in crazy stock art.

“Guess what I got?! An invitation to the Fall Dance! They have it this weekend in the alumni building, and it says they’re going to have a raffle for a brand new bag! I’m going so that I can get that awesome bag. Do you wanna go?” She asked, waving it in his face.

They were standing in front of one of the older houses on their route, waiting for a car to drive by so they could cross. Stevie looked around, eyes darting back and forth.

He wanted to hurry and get home, but she had taken the time to invite him. The least he could do was listen and consider it.

“How long is it?”

“From 5pm-8pm. Not that long at all! Come on, Stevie, you always skip out on these sorts of things. It’ll be fun!” She grinned, putting the flyer back into her bag.

Out of the corner of his eye, Stevie saw someone staring at them, frozen stiff. He recognized them, thanks to the weird hat adjusted on their head.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll go, but we have to leave now. That guy is here,” He whispered, gently pulling her away and wishing he was running down the street at top speed. Kat grumbled, reluctantly rushing along with him.

  
  


////

Stevie knew that telling Dr. Kreizler about the dance would be...hard. Thanks to the heightened concern that Sara had given him, and because of updates that he refused to tell Stevie about, he knew the chances of him being allowed to go were slim.

Maybe Kat was right. They had been down as of late because of Ernst’s death, and many things were sitting on his mind. Attending the Fall Dance could help him feel better, in a way. A night of dancing and drinking punch with Kat, having fun without a care in the world.

Taking a deep breath, Stevie knocked on Dr. Kreizler’s office door. It swung open, with Dr. Kreizler standing in front of him and looking surprised.

“Yes, Stevie?”

This was it—the big moment. Combined with Stevie’s fears over the strange man and Ernst’s death, he was still going to go through with his plan to attend the dance.

“Can I go to the Fall Dance this weekend? Kat invited me, and she thinks it’ll help with our...emotions.” He was unsure of how to word it in a way that would convince Dr. Kreizler to let him go.

Dr. Kreizler looked at him for a moment, probably thinking about what Sara had told him the other day. Stevie crossed his fingers, hoping he would say yes. The more he thought about the dance, the more excited and hopeful he became.

“It’s dangerous for you to go out alone. Does it go on well into the night?” He asked, arms folded across his chest.

Stevie shook his head. “N-No, sir. Just until 8 pm. There should be chaperones there, but if not, then...then I have Kat.” He reminded himself that Kat could fend just about anyone off.

Sighing, Dr. Kreizler nodded. “Alright, you can go. Please, keep a flashlight on you and keep an eye out. It’s risky for you to be out that late.”

Yes! Stevie couldn’t help but grin, hugging Dr. Kreizler and thanking him.

Hopefully, if he played it safe, everything would go smoothly, and he’d be able to have a great night filled with good memories and tons of fun.

  
  


////

  
  


There he stood in front of the alumni building, dressed in a nice, but casual shirt with some jeans. The flyer Kat gave him didn’t say to come dressed formally, but he wanted to look presentable at the least.

Digging around in his pocket, Stevie pulled out the note that Kat had given him that Friday, telling him to meet her at the parking lot near the alumni building so she could introduce him to her other friends. It was stupid to have to walk back to the parking lot after being dropped off at the front, but Stevie knew it would mean the world to Kat if he did.

Putting the note in his pocket, he strode over to the small parking lot, noticing how hidden it was from everything else. Trees surrounded almost every space, and it was next to one of the storage buildings the school had. He shivered at the chilly breeze, wrapping his arms around himself in hopes of keeping warm.

It wasn’t incredibly dark outside, but the sun was starting to set more, masking any visible threats that might have been lurking. Dr. Kreizler’s reminder stayed in the back of his head as he reached the parking lot, looking to see if Kat was standing around for him.

If Kat were there, she would have hollered for him by now. It didn’t seem like her to be waiting around without saying something.

He scowled. Maybe Kat was trying to prank him by hiding in the storage building. Stevie didn’t know how she would manage to get in there, but there were many things Kat could do that no one would expect.

Going through the uncut grass, Stevie could smell a nasty metallic scent coming from nearby. It was strong enough to make him gag, dreading what he was going to find. Usually, he could smell this when there were dead rodents on the road, so there could be one nearby. Then again, anything was possible.

Stevie looked at the storage building, noticing that the door was slightly ajar, with what seemed to be a broken lock. That had to be where Kat was hiding, ready to jump out and scare the living hell out of Stevie.

He stepped further, peeking inside of the building and gasping loudly. Tremors began in his body, his legs unable to move as he watched the scene in front of him unfold.

The man with the awkward hat was stabbing down at what could only be Kat’s body, breathing deeply and whispering unintelligible words. A finger shined from the sunset pouring in the open door, revealing Stevie’s worst nightmare come true.

He let out a blood-curdling scream, turning around and running towards the alumni building. Heart beating wildly in his chest, Stevie tried to focus his mind on telling someone at the dance. Anyone! There wasn’t much time to wonder about how the killer knew they would be there and why he was going after them! All that mattered right then was-.

Stevie quickly glanced over his shoulder, realizing his mistake too late. Following behind him was the killer, holding a large knife in one hand. He looked back at the alumni building, hoping to anything out there that he would make it in time.

As he passed by the last few spots in the parking lot, Stevie stumbled, tripping over himself and falling onto the pavement. He winced in pain, grabbing at his ankle and urging himself to get up before it was too late.

The killer loomed over him, holding his knife up and ready to swing down. Stevie’s eyes widened. No! He refused to die!

Using his good foot, Stevie kicked his leg up into the killer’s shin, causing him to stumble back. The blood on his knife dripped onto his face, forcing him to blink rapidly in hopes of getting it out.

There was no time to make it to the alumni building now. Stevie was ready to put up a fight for his friends! If the police and others couldn’t catch this guy, then Stevie take matters into his own hands!

He bit down on his lip, wiping his face off and watching the killer as he scowled, swinging down. Stevie rolled to his side, trying his damndest to push himself off of the ground. The killer grumbled, reaching a hand down feverishly to grab him by the shirt collar.

Stevie swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling himself get pulled up and faced with the killer. He glared at him, grabbing the hand on his shirt collar and digging his nails into it as hard as he could. His pulse was going crazy, loudly echoing in his ears as a burst of adrenaline went through his veins.

_‘Please, please, work!’_ He begged, noticing the killer raising his knife once more. He was taking his sweet time in trying to murder him, almost like he enjoyed seeing the struggle.

As the killer went to stab down again, Stevie let go of his hand, hitting the killer’s arm as hard as he could and causing him to drop the knife. His shirt collar was freed from his grip, allowing him to fall to the ground and crawl towards the knife.

Stevie reached his hand out, trying to move the knife so he could grab it handle, but the killer kicked him down.

_‘Dammit!’_ Stevie breathed heavily, feeling the killer grip his throat with both hands and squeeze, determined to murder him. He wouldn’t let that happen. The killer had already gotten away with so much!

He narrowed his eyes, reaching an arm out in hopes of grabbing at the knife again. This was his only chance! If he screwed this up, then everything would have been for nothing!

Feeling the blade on his fingertips, Stevie frantically grabbed at the knife, finally grabbing the handle and steadying his grip. His vision was starting to blur from the lack of oxygen, reminding him of the precious moments he had left.

“You...son of a...bitch!” Stevie breathed out, stabbing the knife into the killer’s neck, making sure it was in deep.

The killer let go of his throat, gasping and sputtering as he desperately pulled at the knife in his neck. Stevie scrambled to get up, breathing heavily, and grateful for his smart decision as he watched the killer fall over, blood pooling around him.

“Oh, my God, call the police! Hurry!” A voice shrieked, causing him to turn around and notice the crowd barreling out of the alumni building. Where had they been the entire time?

Stevie stumbled back, unable to tear his gaze away from the killer. He had done it. He caught the guy they had been looking for, and he managed to kill him too. It was surreal actually to see him lying on the pavement, knowing that this was the man who had murdered Kat and, more than likely, Ernst.

A crowd gathered around him, asking him questions about what happened and if he was okay. Stevie could only manage a small nod, shaking and still stunned by what had happened.

Red and blue lights shined brightly in the distance with sirens blaring, clearly being an ambulance and maybe the police. Stevie turned his attention to them, ready to be wheeled away and reunited with Dr. Kreizler.

_‘I did it, Kat. I did it, Ernst. I killed him.’_ He thought, standing in a daze as the paramedics began to rush out.

The only thing he remembered was feeling a wave of relief pass over him and passing out on the stretcher, exhausted from his crazy fight.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This work was really enjoyable to write, and while sad, it kept me motivated! Hopefully, you all enjoyed it!!🖤


End file.
